Don't Let a Cracked Tooth Cramp Your Smile

At Made Ya Smile Dental in Sugar Land, Texas, Dr. Michael Kesner and our team are here to help you with all of your oral care needs. Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body (harder than your bones, even)? Even so, your teeth can be injured, including cracked—or fractured—teeth.

If you are eating and feel a sharp pain when you bite down on your food, but it stops when you stop putting pressure on your tooth, your tooth could be cracked. A tooth can crack for various reasons.

If you chew on hard objects such as ice, hard candy, or hard nuts, an accident to the mouth, or even if your tooth enamel is exposed to temperature extremes, your tooth can crack. So if you are eating hot soup and burn your tongue, don’t be tempted to switch to ice water right away. Your teeth can also crack if you persistently grind or clench your teeth (known as bruxism).

To repair your cracked tooth, one of our skilled dentists will examine the tooth and determine the proper treatment. For minor cracks bonding with a tooth-colored composite resin or dental filling may be all that is required, but if the damage is severe, the tooth may need to be extracted, requiring a root canal. Routine dental checkups are important to catch tooth problems when they are still small and treatment is least invasive.

If you are experiencing tooth pain, call our dental team at a location near you for relief. Meanwhile, avoid chewing on that side of your mouth and if needed, take acetaminophen or over-the-counter pain reliever and rinse with salt water until you are seen.